The muscular dystrophies are inherited disorders that largely affect striated muscle tissue resulting in progressive muscle weakness, wasfing, and in many instances, premature death. Many characterized mutafions in humans that cause muscular dystrophy (MD) result from alterations in structural attachment proteins that affix the underlying contracfile proteins to the basal lamina, providing rigidity to the skeletal muscle cell membrane (sarcolemma). Loss of select attachment proteins in the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) permits contraction-induced membrane tears and influx of calcium that is thought to cause cellular degeneration and necrosis of muscle fibers. During this necrofic process cytokines, chemokines and growth factors are released as part of the inflammatory and repair process, although induction of fibrosis and scarring are an unwanted side effect that worsens disease. One prominent cytokine is transforming growth factor-|3 (TGFp) that serves a master regulator ofthe fibrotic response and worsening of muscle pathology in MD. While fibroblasts are directly regulated by TGFB, other cytokines and growth factors from the myofiber are hypothesized to be necessary for fibroblast activation and a productive fibrofic response. Thus, here we will test the relatively novel hypothesis that myofibers themselves directly respond to TGFB in promoting the fibrofic response and fissue pathology in MD by generafing secondary signals to resident fibroblasts. In two specific aims we will examine both the canonical (SMAD2/3) and non-canonical (TAK1-p38a-JNK) TGFB signaling pathways within myofibers to determine their role in transducing the fibrofic response outward to fibroblasts. Our approach will ufilize condifional gene-targeted mice to disrupt Smad2/3 and p38a, as well as skeletal muscle-specific transgenic mice with inhibited JNK1/2 and TGFB receptor signaling. Our preliminary data show that p38a deletion in myofibers, or mice with loss of Jnki, have reduced fibrosis and MD severity in the 6-sarcoglycan deficient background, suggesting a pathologic linkage with non-canonical TGFp signaling. Moreover, delefion of periostin, which is a TGFp-inducible extracellular matrix (ECM) protein that promotes effective TGFp signaling, similariy reduced MD severity in a mouse model of disease. These results support the overall focus of this project on TGFB signaling through the myofibers in mediafing fibrosis and worsening of MD.